Madhouse

The dream I had last night:

My dream-shell was a child; I must have been six at the youngest, eight at the oldest. I was accompanying my mother as she ventured on a quest down the hall of what seemed like close-quarter apartments, every room was tiny. It really seemed like a tattered, abandoned medical institution refurbished into a slum dormitory. The staff may have abandoned the place, but the mentally deranged remained. 

My mom went door to door, peeking into every sad, densely lit room; occasionally rummaging through the garbage and piled rubbish among the floor. 

All around us, people were yelling. Some wanted to be left alone, others chastised invisible compatriots and negligent friends all along the dilapidated hallways and lonesome hospital rooms that appeared comfortably furnished. I was watching a television mounted in the corner of the hallway. An advertisement for a water park showed children careening down waterslides and playfully rampaging in a swimming pool. Meanwhile, in the corner of my eye, an overweight but lusciously curved woman dolled herself up, applying makeup, dressed in shaded lingerie outlined in fluffy crimson trim. She approved what she saw in the mirror and laid in her bed next to a blank mannequin. 

From further down the hall, an imposing growl grabbed my attention. I turned my head to see where it was coming from. What seemed like a dog dressed in human clothing was sitting on its hind legs, rocking back and forth. That was the direction my mom wanted to go next. When we reached that area, a group of people were ridiculing a lone, older, stress-worn woman. They grabbed her collection of mini-sized plastic dolls, each one capable of fitting in the palm of a hand, and they threw them in a garbage can then left in sadistic laughter. The tormented woman agonized over the discarded plastic dolls screaming, “Are they dead!?”

My mom disrupted my attention, still searching and gathering. She told me to sift through the clutter that was directly near what I thought was a ravaging dog. It turned out to be a mutated being; it had human skin but it walked on four sets of clawed paws. It was dressed in a shirt and shorts, it even wore a wool cap, but it had a canine’s elongated snout and a makeshift muzzle that was really a broad, white leather belt that it seemed capable of tearing open if instigated. 

I began sifting through the pile as mother wanted me to and sure enough, it wasn’t a matter of if but when – and the hairless beast lunged at me. Its front claws were digging into my shoulders but all my strength was directed to keeping its strapped, vicious teeth away from me. It’s mouth was directly in front of my eyes and they began growing larger and longer.  

And I awoke.

Escape (Flukt) (2012) - Quick Hits

 Director: Roar Uthaug

 

Writer: Thomas Moldestad

Roar Uthaug and Thomas Moldestad are Norwegian long-time collaborators best known for the Cold Prey (Fritt vilt) movies. With Escape (Flukt), they deliver a survivor’s tale set ten years after the Black Plague ravaged Europe. Signe and her family are attacked by a clan of ravagers led by the calmly fierce Dagmar (played by Ingrid Bolsǿ Berdal). As their intentions for Signe become clear, Signe escapes the desperate group, but they are not going to let her leave so easily; especially when Signe has Dagmar’s most prized possession. 

Filmed in Norway, Uthaug masterfully crafts a familiar tale while still making it feel exciting, and at times nostalgic, making you long for the days of Mad Max and vintage Ingmar Bergman films such as The Virgin Spring. Fans of the Lord of the Rings scenery could take pleasure in the practical authenticity of the costumes and gorgeous cinematography. The actors draw the viewer as much as the natural elements, particularly Berdal (one of Uthaug’s and Moldestad’s regulars) who plays here role with equal harshness and grace. The makeup department had to go out of their way to make her look even remotely unattractive, yet still her natural beauty shines through. There are no weak links among this cast, which also includes Gaahl, lead singer of metal band Godspeed (formerly of Gorgoroth) as one of Dagmar’s henchmen.

A tale of survival, lavishing scenery, and great acting, and the right pinch of violence make Escape an overlooked and underrated film. If sub-titles don’t bother you, you’ll get the full pleasure of an excellent native Norwegian film. If sub-titles are an actual demerit to you, watch this movie anyway. Get some more culture in your life. 

Air-Gorilla Warfare

The dream I had last night:

 

There was a fleet of heli-carrier’s hovering over the palaces of Rome, Italy. A few citizens fled for cover, most stood in awe of the monstrous floating mechanical islands. Shortly, a swarm of dark garbed, winged troopers soared in ring formations, circling the heli-carriers. They were winged-gorillas armed with assault rifles and strapped with ammo-vests. 

Then, I awoke. This has already given me ideas for stories, but the visual of the winged-gorillas attacking the heli-carriers over Italy was glamorous. It would make an exquisite painting.

Rock the Heart Mike Scaccia Tribute Show - A Special Evening

May 24, 2014, The rain finally settled on the Austin, Texas streets. Security did their job, my ticket was scanned, and I was unleashed upon Emo’s. The venue was broken up into small crowds occupying territory, some by the stage, definitely at both bars on either side, but the place was not nearly full. Down were the headliners, but the main event; the entire evening in face, was a tribute to the late Mike Scaccia. One of the most influential Texas metal guitarists ever to come out of the Lone Star state, and make no doubt about it, when it came to guitar playing, much like the beloved Dimebag Darrel, or Billy Gibbons, Mike Scaccia was just as beloved by those that heard him, cherished by those that knew him, and just as bright a lone star.

Dead Earth Politics crushed their set performing in front of their home crowd, but like most concerts, the crowd was minimal but that didn’t stop the band from giving a great performance. Dead Earth Politics garnered some positive attention while performing amongst peers and idols at last year’s Housecore Horror Festival which was also in their hometown of Austin. This being my first experience hearing the group, I was pleasantly impressed with the technical musicianship of the band, especially guitarist Aaron Canady who was backed up by a tight, sophisticated rhythm section comprised of Will Little on bass and drummer Mason Evans. The vocal diversity of lead singer Ven Scott was equally remarkable. They complemented one another nicely. Their sound is a new generation blend of earth shaking power and air surfing shred; easily comparable to Lamb of God with a glazing of British Metal flare. The crowd enlarged during their performance; some folks were disappointed they hadn’t arrived sooner to hear them.

Warbeast followed and destroyed all. Featuring former Rigor Mortis members Casey Orr (bass) and Bruce Corbitt (vocals), the band played songs from all of their current releases. Bruce Corbitt’s vocals evoked the dead to start moshing while lead guitarist Scott Shelby baptized the crowd with his blazing guitar solos as rhythm guitarist Bobby Tillotson surged his demonic riffs through the audience’s arts while drummer Joey Gonzalez juggled their ruptured bowels with his tight knit drumming. They left the crowd wanting more and willing to kill. Personally speaking, they were the best band of the night, although all were great.

The show was far from over as there were still more bands forthcoming, but the true reason all of these musicians gathered that night was to help family members pay tribute to the late Mike Scaccia. In the mid-1980’s Mike Scaccia, Casey Orr, Bruce Corbitt, and Harden Harrison formed the Texas thrash metal juggernaut Rigor Mortis. Spearheaded by Mike Scaccia’s revolutionary double-picking technique that would take the metal world by storm, Rigor Mortis was at the forefront of the North Texas metal scene spreading the love of heavy metal and horror films. Doyle Bright eventually replaced Bruce Corbitt on vocals before Rigor Mortis disbanded in 1991. Mike Scaccia went on to play with other musical monsters such as The Revolting Cocks, Lard, and Ministry (with whom I had the good fortune of seeing him perform). Sadly, Mike Scaccia passed away on December 23, 2012, suffering a heart attack while performing on stage. He was only forty-seven years old.

In his honor, his family created the Mike Scaccia Heart Rock Foundation for Heart Disease to raise money for research and aid in fighting heart disease. In attendance, they took the stage surrounded by Mike Scaccia’s friends and band mates to deliver a heartfelt message to the crowd, hoping we would support the efforts of the foundation, and to show their appreciation to the fans for keeping Mike Scaccia’s name and memory alive and respected. They also announced that this Rock the Heart benefit show was the first of an annual event and that the bands were being filmed for a live DVD to be released later in the year with all proceeds going towards the Mike Scaccia Heart Rock Foundation.

Included in the upcoming DVD was a documentary showcasing Rigor Mortis. It debuted shortly after the family walked off the stage. Narrated by Phil Anselmo (Pantera/Down vocalist), interviews with all the band members told the story of Rigor Mortis’ rise amongst the growing Texas metal scene of the early 80’s. Different bands from different parts of Texas played their high school parties, some even got into legal trouble, but the world kept turning and the time came when four guys who liked heavy metal and gore flicks met, clicked, and Rigor Mortis was born. The documentary was a treat for Rigor Mortis fans and music history enthusiasts. Unfortunately, there were sync issues with the sound, but it was still a worthwhile treat.

A sweet treat was the next band The Scaccianators. It was a mix of the remaining original Rigor Mortis lineup including Doyle Bright, as all the members interchanged musical duties while friends of the band and of Mike Scaccia filled in with guest performances as they ripped through Rigor Mortis songs. Mike Taylor handled Mike Scaccia’s parts and he was amazing. The crowd on stage was just as thrilled as the crowd on the floor with members of Down, techs, roadies, and acquaintances jamming with the music from the side. Phil Anselmo even joined the group to sing Demons.   

That was a taste of things to come as the stage was then set for the headliners. Down roared on stage to a packed house, blasting through songs off nearly every record; mostly their first album and latest EP. It seems as though guitarist Bobby Landgraf brings an ecstatic energy to the band that might have been dormant with original rhythm guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) who’s style is slightly more mellow but no less aggressive; Landgraf was traversing the stage at all times, stopping only to shout out a chorus or blaze through a solo. Everyone did a fine job, but the wear and tear on Phil Anselmo’s vocal chords plus just age in general have taken their toll on the man’s vocals. His once piercing shrieks are now wicked screams but he still leaves everything out on stage and will work hard to make sure everyone is having a great time.

There was a special vibe cascading the performers that night. Maybe it was Mike Scaccia looking down on everyone, shredding his guitar up in the afterlife with the rest of the bands; maybe it was his family getting a first hand experience of what he meant to the world. It was a night of heavy music, unbridled compassion, and profound respect all in the Mike Scaccia’s name. He will forever be missed by his family and friends, and his fans will forever remember him as one of the most influential guitarists to every tap a fret board. Rest in peace Mike Scaccia.